86 hong kong tatler. august 2019v2.ISLASSECAS,PANAMA
A dedicated“adventureconcierge”is onhand
at theremoteIslasSecasresortin Panamato
helpcurateyourtrip—andwhatadventuresthey
canplan.Thisnine-roomislandhideawayis a
scubadiver’sparadise,offeringunparalleled
accessto theGulfof Chiriquíanditsmorethan
750 speciesof fish,includingwhalesharks,giant
mantaraysandbluefinandyellowfintuna.Next
yeara fieldstationis setto openontheisland,
enablinga residentteamof scientiststo study
migratinghumpbackwhalesin thesummer.Animal Magic
x 4. LEKKERWATER BEACH LODGE,
SOUTH AFRICA
Safaris in South Africa are often focused on
seeing the Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino
and Cape buffalo—but Lekkerwater Beach Lodge
turns travellers’ attention from the land to the sea.
From its perch overlooking the Indian Ocean,
guests can enjoy some of the best land-based
whale watching in the world as hundreds of
southern right whales pass majestically by from
July to November.4
Safaris come in many forms,asshownbythewild
but indisputably luxuriousexperiencesofferedby
these eight new camps andlodgesv3.HOTEL MARI MARI, CHILE
Whetheryou’re after a land- or water-based
adventure, there’s something for everyone at
Hotel Mari Mari, which is set in Chile’s Mari
Mari Natural Reserve. From the lodge’s base on
the country’s rugged Pacific coast, guests can
venture out on foot or horseback to try to catch a
glimpse of puma in the nearby woods or set out
in boats or kayaks to meet the penguins, dolphins
and sea lions that zip along the shoreline
beneath the hotel’s villas.x 1. MAGASHI CAMP, RWANDA
The new six-tent Magashi Camp, operated by
Wilderness Safaris, is the first to offer a luxury
safari experience in Rwanda’s wetlands,
where wildlife such as Nile crocodiles,
swamp-dwelling sitatunga antelope and
more than 500 species of birds thrive.
Magashi is situated in Akagera National
Park, one of 15 protected areas managed
by African Parks, a non-profit organisation
that works with governments and local
communities to rehabilitate and conserve
invaluable ecosystems around the continent.
Since African Parks took on management of
Akagera in 2010, lions and black rhinos have
been successfully reintroduced to the reserve.2
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